Page v McKensey & Ors [2003] NSWSC 759

New South Wales Supreme Court

CITATION : Page v McKensey & Ors [2003] NSWSC 759 HEARING DATE(S) : 29/07/2003, 30/07/2003 JUDGMENT DATE : 2 September 2003

JUDGMENT OF : Gzell J DECISION : Appeal dismissed with costs.

CATCHWORDS : PROCEDURE - Supreme Court procedure - Dispute between partners of terminated partnership - Appeal from Master refusing leave to file further amended statement of claim, striking out amended statement of claim and dismissing proceedings - Issues decided in other proceedings between co-partners to which appellant not party - Whether an abuse of process - Whether subject to res judicata estoppel as privy - Whether appellant bound by findings as to partnership in earlier proceedings - Claim to set aside judgment on basis of fraud - Whether the evidence was newly found - Whether likely to result in changed judgment - Whether appropriate in proceedings against five co-partners when allegations of fraud limited to two co-partners Fair Trading Act 1987 Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (US) LEGISLATION CITED : Supreme Court Rules 1970 Supreme Court Act 1970 Partnership Act 1892 Hunter v Chief Constable of West Midlands Police [1982] AC 529 Sea Culture International Pty Ltd v Scoles (1991) 32 FCR 275 Reichel v Magrath (1889) 14 App Cas 665 R v Balfour; ex parte Parkes Rural Distributions Pty Ltd (1987) 17 FCR 26 Haines v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (1995) 43 NSWLR 404 Partridge v McIntosh & Sons Ltd (1933) 49 CLR 453 Carl Zeiss Stiftung v Rayner & Keeler Ltd (No 2) [1967] 1 AC 853 Gleeson v J Wippell & Co Ltd [1977] 1 WLR 510 Shiels v Blakeley [1986] 2 NZLR 262 Colonial Acquisition Partnership v Colonial at Lynnfield Inc 697 F Supp 714 (SDNY 1988) Executor Trustee and Agency Co of South Australia Ltd v Deputy Federal Commissioner of Taxes (SA) (1939) 62 CLR 545 Do Carmo v Ford Excavations Pty Ltd [1981] 1 NSWLR 409 Morrison v Judd (unreported, 10 October 1995, NSWCA) House v The King (1936) 55 CLR 499 CASES CITED : Port of Melbourne Authority v Anshun Pty Ltd (1981) 147 CLR 589 Birtchnell v Equity Trustees, Executors and Agency Co Ltd (1929) 42 CLR 384 Wardley Australia Ltd v Western Australia (1992) 175 CLR 514 Jonesco v Beard [1930] AC 298 McDonald v McDonald (1965) 113 CLR 529 Spies v Commonwealth Bank of Australia (1991) 24 NSWLR 691 Duchess of Kingston's Case (1776) 1 Leach 146 (168 ER 175) Banque Commerciale SA en liquidation v Akhil Holdings Ltd (1990) 169 CLR 279 Monroe Schneider Associates (Inc) v No 1 Raberem Pty Ltd (1992) 37 FCR 234 Toubia v Schwenke (2002) 54 NSWLR 46 Wentworth v Rogers (No 5) (1986) 6 NSWLR 534 Cababe, The Principles of Estoppel, Maxwell, London, 1888 Spencer Bower, Turner and Handley, The Doctrine of Res Judicata, 3rd ed, Butterworths, London, 1996 Lindley & Banks on Partnership, 17th ed, Sweet & Maxwell, London, 1995 Joske, The Law of Partnership in Australia and New Zealand, 2nd ed, Butterworths, Sydney, 1966 Higgins and Fletcher, The Law of Partnership in Australia and New Zealand, 8th ed, LBC Information Services, Sydney, 2001 Geoffrey Francis Page - Appellant Hugh Stanley McKensey - 1st Respondent PARTIES : Victor John Lewis - 2nd Respondent Philip Anthony Nelson - 3rd Respondent Peter Hicks - 4th Respondent Christopher Hewitt - 5th Respondent FILE NUMBER(S) : SC 1595/96 M B Duncan - Appellant COUNSEL : C D Wood - 1st, 2nd and 4th Respondents P A Nelson - In person Shaw McDonald Pty Ltd Solicitors - Appellant SOLICITORS : Bowen-Thomas & Barlow - 1st and 2nd Respondents Hewitts Commercial Lawyers - 4th and 5th Respondents